where it all began
by zivafan07
Summary: This is a prequel to my other story that I am currently uploading each week named 'new begginings'. It is a story about what Tony and Ziva are up to after Ziva resigns. This prequel is about how and why she ended her carrier at NCIS. It may have a sad start but definitely has a happy ending.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **** So as mentioned in the summary this is a prequel to my other story 'new beginnings.' It is a story about what Tony and Ziva are up to after Ziva resigns from NCIS; it is a cute, romantic story. But some of my readers wanted to know the reason for Ziva's departure and since that is a more serious topic I decided to explain that in this prequel. So go ahead, read and enjoy and do not forget to check out 'new beginnings' as well.**

**DISCLAIMER: ****I do not own NCIS or any of these characters and make no profit from this work of fiction.**

**CHAPTER 1**

**NCIS BULLPEN**

**10:00 PM**

The team except Ziva were busy pretending to do their paperwork, while all their thoughts were right now with Ziva who was currently upstairs with the director finalising her resignation.

Tony looked up and across his desk, seeing the empty desk in front of him, cleared of all the personal effects of its previous inhabitant, made his heart ache a little more.

Gibbs looked up in time to see Abby, Ducky and Jimmy come from the back elevator, "Has she left already?" asked a distraught Abby.

"I'll never leave without seeing you all Abby." came the reply from Ziva herself who was standing in the entrance of the bullpen.

Ziva breathed out loudly and looked at Gibbs who looked back at her with an intense gaze; She nodded her head in affirmation. Gibbs sighed and came to stand right before his surrogate daughter.

"the paperwork, it's over, and I am officially not an agent anymore." she said and as soon as she finished saying her bottom lip started quivering, and her face crumpled into a look of distraught at the thought of never being back in this bullpen anymore.

Gibbs stepped forward and enveloped her within his embrace, one hand on her upper back and the other stroking her hair. Ziva started sobbing into his chest.

After a few minutes she composed herself and looked up at the others, "I am leaving for Israel tomorrow, not for long, but I'll call you guys when I can." she said trying to smile through her tears.

Abby came forward her own tears streaming down her face, and hugged Ziva tightly, she then held her by her shoulders and looked at her, "don't leave Ziva." she almost pleaded.

Ziva patted her cheek too choked by emotions to reply. She went towards Ducky and Jimmy, Ducky held both of her hands in his own, "take care of yourself Ziva, and make sure you do come back to us."

Ziva smiled at him half heartedly, she reached her hand out to jimmy's and squeezed it, unable to speak anymore. She was exhausted, physically and more than that emotionally.

She went to McGee and hugged him putting her arms around his torso, he hugged her back and whispered into her hair, "We will miss you Ziva."

She lifted her head from his shoulders and looked up at him, she leaned up and kissed his cheek, she then closed her eyes and whispered "me too Tim."

She moved back and turned around to look at Tony who had his fists clenched at his sides, his jaws set and eyes burning, with something akin to an emotion Ziva was not ready to deal with.

She moved towards him slowly, her eyes flitting across his face, regret spreading through her entire frame at the look of hurt on his face.

He tilted his head to the side; "saving the best for the last, David?" he asked in his usual manner of joking and spread his arms wide.

Ziva smiled ruefully as she stepped into his embrace, she wound her arms around his neck and rested her head under his chin on his chest, listening to his heart beat, and reminding herself of the reason that she needed to leave, she was doing this so that this heart kept beating, she was doing this so that the man in whose arms she currently was in, never again gets hurt because of her.

Tony looked up at his boss, a man who had come to be something closer to a father to him in all these years. Gibbs understood the look in Tony's eyes and the embrace between the two that was so different more intimate from the others.

Tony leaned his head down to her ear and whispered "You are not going anywhere Ziva, I am not letting you go, not again." he said and tightened his grip on her.

Ziva let out a strangled sob. She lifted her head from his chest and looked up into his clear green eyes.

He shifted and held her face in his hands, he leaned down towards her face and gently placed his lips over hers, her lips quivered under his and all the air left her, as she realised that the love of her life was claiming her as his, right in front of their family.

He began to deepen the kiss, pouring all the unspoken words into it. Ziva clutched at the front of his shirt never wanting the incredibly soft lips of his to leave hers, never wanting to let go of his muscled and hardened body that was right now overwhelming her with feels. One of his arms went around her lower back and bended her slightly backwards against his desk.

The few agents who were working late, stopped on their spot to see the scene before them. The entire team Gibbs was surprised by the overflow of emotions seen between these two. Abby had a small smile plastered to his face. Gibbs was happy, happy that his little girl got the happy ending she deserved.

After a few minutes the two separated, breathing heavily. Tony's eyes roamed all over her face and at last settled on to the chocolate brown eyes, and with all the sincerity he could muster confessed, "I am in love with you Ziva David, please don't leave me."

Hearing the words from his mouth was what broke her down completely, she started crying violently, and he once more held her to his body and rubbed her back soothingly. He felt her entire body wracking with uncontrollable sobs.

"Hey shhh it's alright, calm down." he consoled.

After a few minutes when she didn't stop he slowly moved out of the squad room, and lead her to the break room with her still crying in his arms.

Once he reached the break room he sat on one of the chair and made her sit on his lap, slowly her sobs slowed down, with no energy left she slumped on to him. She began drawing patterns on his chest as she was deeply immersed in her thoughts.

"Tony" she called softly.

"Yeah" he replied, he was stroking her knee, comforting her, and he was in turn comforted by the fact that she had not ran away from him.

She looked at him in his eyes, "I love you too." she confessed.

Tony smiled brightly and brought her head closer to his and kissed her passionately.

They separated but remained in that position with their foreheads touching.

She opened her eyes and said, "But I have to go to Israel."

Tony's body stiffened hearing this, and he gritted out the words, controlling the hurt he felt, "you love me, but all you can give me is a goodbye, huh?" he asked.

Ziva placed her palm on his cheek making him open his eyes, "No, I love you Tony and I am all yours, I want to give my entire self to you. But to be able to do that I need to go to Israel, it's only for a week and then I promise I will come back to you."

"Then I'll go with you." Tony stated.

Ziva sighed and shook her head "No Tony not this time, Israel is where my life started, my horrific past, and one which you were not a part of, a life of deaths, betrayal and other horrors. I need to go back there one last time to make peace with my former life, I need to do this alone before I come back to you, before I start a new chapter of my life here along with you. And I promise, I'll never ever leave you again. But please let me go one last time."

Tony saw what she wanted and nodded his head placing a light kiss on her forehead.

"Will you please come home with me tonight?" he asked pleading.

A small smile lit her face, as she bit her lip and nodded her head.

**A/N: ****Okay so how was it? Also I'll upload the next chapter in about an hour that will be the last chapter. I know it is short but for those who don't know this is just a prequel to a cute romantic story I am working on called 'new beginnings', the first chapter of which I had uploaded two days ago. So please read that too. And do not forget to review **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ****So here it is the second chapter as promised. It is short but I feel it serves the purpose of making way to the even bigger plotline of the story 'new beginnings'. After reading this please do check out the other story, 'new beginnings.**

**CHAPTER 2**

It had been almost a week since Ziva left for her short visit to Israel. And in all that time she hadn't called even once.

As the days passed by he became more and more sure that all that had happened in the squad room was a dream.

He always came in early to work and went back late, afraid to step inside the apartment that reminded him of the last night they spend together before their separation.

There were no more pranks, no more bantering; the squad room was filled with an eerie silence, one which is usually observed during a funeral.

It had been six days since she left America, and her family. That night as Tony shut down his computer and packed and got ready to leave his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He was confused, as to who would be calling him this late at night seeing as it was already two in the morning.

He pulled out his cell and the name on the caller ID made his heart skip a beat. He answered the phone and heard the sound of Ziva breathing.

"Ziva?" he asked.

"Tony, I am ready, I am ready to come back home." Ziva said.

Tony had the biggest grin on his face, one that nothing could erase off of his face that night.

**02:30 AM**

**GIBBS BASEMENT**

"Boss" Tony called out as he descended down the stairs.

"Down here DiNozzo." Gibbs replied

Tony came down the stairs with the same bright grin on his face.

"She called you didn't she?" Gibbs asked instantly.

Tony stopped abruptly, surprised by how much Gibbs knew, "how did you..." he began.

"Have you seen yourself DiNozzo? You have the smile back on your face, something that hasn't been there since she left." he said.

"Well yeah that's true." Tony conceded.

Both of them sat in a comfortable silence, Gibbs working on the boat and Tony fiddling with some tool. And at last Gibbs turned around facing Tony, "Are you serious about this DiNozzo?" he asked.

"Absolutely, Gibbs." Tony replied surprised by his question.

"How serious?" he asked further.

"Didn't the last week prove anything to you?" Tony asked back.

Gibbs silently nodded his head in understanding, he added "don't screw this up Tony; I am concerned not only for her but you too."

"Boss I have been in a number of relations, Wendy, Jeanne, EJ. But this is different Gibbs, this is the real thing, she is it for me, and I would kill myself before I even think about hurting her." Tony said

"I think I and Tim may help you out there." he said almost seriously

Tony looked up at his boss's face and after a moment started laughing light heartedly along with him.

**A/N: ****So here we are done with this short prequel, and now I'll get back to uploading 'new beginnings.' Please leave a review it would mean so much to me. **


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